在《威尼斯商人》中探尋經濟交換中的正義

Searching for Justice-Breaking with the Tribal, Capitalist, and State Mode of Economic Exchange in The Merchant of Venice

本文嘗試以《威尼斯商人》劇中同時存在的部族互酬式、國家交換式、資本交換式和正義式經濟交換模式來審視劇中人物的言行與決定是如何受制於不同的經濟交換模式，並試圖提供新的視角。筆者根據柄谷行人所細分的四種經濟交換模式來分析劇中產生的經濟交換，分別為第一種的在部族社群(tribal community)中，第二種是資本商品交換模式，第三種則是國家城邦支配與控制經濟交換，最後一種則是打破前三種，追求交換正義的模式。筆者認為，鮑細霞雖替威尼斯商人們撥亂反正，其免於猶太商人的索肉罰則，但卻也點出基督教對其他非我族群的暴力排擠，無法帶來真正服人的正義交換。因此，筆者認為，真正讓公平正義出現的交換應該如同德希達(Jacques Derrida)在《死亡的禮物》(The Gift of Death)一書中所提出的觀點，追求一種跳脫部族、資本、國家的經濟交換模式。筆者認為最後的這種正義式的經濟交換，頗能反思其他三種經濟交換的盲點與問題，並找出解決之道，停止製造無限循環的差異、負擔及災難性後果。

This paper attempts to examine the interactions among different characters through four different modes of economic exchange in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice. Ordered according to a teleological view of historical progress, the first refers to equal reciprocation in gift-giving. The second refers to capitalist modes of exchange. The third is the exchange of obedience for protection from the state. The final one is marked by personal sacrifice which has its foundations in a personal relationship with God, and a commitment to justice. I will first discuss how people who lived in tribal societies under processes of reciprocal exchange strengthen the bonds they shared with each other. Then, I will analyze the modes of commodity exchange representative of capitalism. The social-contract mode of exchange is dealt with when Shylock seeks the state's protection through its institutions. I will show that this drama presents these first three exchange as burdensome for both givers and receivers. Based on Jacques Derrida's discussion, I stress that Portia's last judgment does not really present the pursuit of true justice through exchange as a means to break with other modes of economic exchange. Instead, her judgment based on Christian merchants and her self-interest in Venice results in violent intolerance towards the non-Christian Shylock. I attempt to offer readers a reflective strategy for thinking again about the necessity and inevitability of the pernicious effects of economic exchange, such as land expropriation, land readjustment, or economic deregulation and development.